Today the people of Kurdistan and Iraq are threatened by a fanatical and barbaric terrorist organization that wishes to dominate Middle East. We are resolved to defeat this threat with the help of the United States and our friends around the world.

We are the United States’ staunch allies in the region, and we have the only force in the area with the means and will to protect thousands of lives from the horrors that these terrorists bring. But we cannot do it alone.

Terrorists have captured a great deal of U.S. heavy weaponry from the Iraqi Security Forces. With the addition of territory comes the ability to terrorize new populations, to indoctrinate and recruit military-age men, to raise revenue through taxation and control of oil resources and to extend their intelligence network. The stronger they become, the harder they will be to defeat.

We are thankful to our friends on Capitol Hill and in the White House for the support that have given us over the years. Only because the situation is absolutely urgent do we humbly ask our friends to help us again.

This past week, the terrorists launched a new offensive directly targeting Kurdish-protected towns, including the Mosul dam area, the Sinjar district and the Rabia crossing into Syria.

For centuries, this area of Iraq has been home to multiple religions and sects. Not any more. As a first order of business, terrorists ordered Christians to convert to Islam, pay an exorbitant tax or suffer deadly consequences. Those not conforming have been killed in the most horrific of manners. For the first time in the history of Iraq, Mosul is virtually empty of Christians. Hundreds of thousands of residents, including Christian and Yazidi religious minorities, are at immediate risk of being slaughtered. There can be no doubt that this fits the description of genocide.

Meanwhile, as a result of the conflict in Syria and the terrorist advances in Iraq, the Kurdistan region has received more than a million refugees and internally displaced people.

The pesh merga face an enemy that has vastly superior U.S. weaponry. It is essential that we receive military support from the United States and other friends immediately. Every day that the terrorists are able to operate freely brings more loss of life, a mounting humanitarian crises, destruction and horror.

Every religion, state and community must voice its support for civilization and humanity. And those countries with capacity to help — first and foremost the United States — must understand that this is an urgent danger and act accordingly. We must stop the terrorists now. With air support and military equipment, we can.